LATEST ARTICLES
Machinery
Catch crops: when to sow, what to plant and how to get them established
Peter Thomas Keaveney
After the dry spell, the harvest is under control in many parts of the country. With farmers turning their attention to sowing catch crops, Peter Thomas Keaveney looks at the establishment methods.
24 June 2026 Contracting
First-cut silage ‘absolute torture’ for contractors
With a big push to get through first-cut silage during the dry weather spells last week, we catch up with contractors in Co Tipperary to see how the silage season has gone.
20 May 2026 Crops
What four nozzles should you have on the sprayer?
You have space for a number of nozzles on your sprayer. Machinery specialist Dermot Forristal has advice on how to choose those nozzles.
Brand new silage extravaganza set for April
Grass 2026 is a brand new live grass harvesting event hosted by the Irish Farmers Journal, set to take place on Wednesday 29 April, at Cuffesgrange, Co Kilkenny.
4 February 2026 News
Big-bale silage: a 45-year retrospection
While big-bale silage is well accepted today, Michael Moroney looks back to the early days of the system and his first introduction to the system in 1980.
16 April 2025 Farm machinery
Setting up the spreader: understanding the difference between urea and compounds
Peter Thomas Keaveney looks at the main steps involved in checking over the fertiliser spreader, and outlines the importance of adjusting the spreader depending on the type of fertiliser being spread.
12 March 2025 News
Trailing and flexi shoes - what are the options on the Irish market?
Peter Thomas Keaveney and Gary Abbott take an in-depth at the slurry tanker-mounted trailing shoe and flexi-shoe systems available on the Irish market.
8 January 2025 Farm machinery
Don't get bogged down with slurry-spreading calculations this spring
When applying slurry through LESS systems, the working width is typically reduced versus the splash plate, and an increased forward speed is required to achieve the same application rate
8 January 2025 Farm machinery
Slick, practical Mayo engineering
AgriSpread recently gave us the opportunity to put its latest Pro+ 14000 rear discharge vertical beater dung spreader through its paces. Peter Thomas Keaveney reports.
1 January 2025 Farm machinery
MTU Tralee hosts sustainable slurry event
Munster Technological University (MTU) Tralee held a Sustainable Slurry Solutions event drawing together over 70 attendees across two days.
4 December 2024 News
Top methods to dry straw this harvest
In some areas, straw is sitting on the ground awaiting dry weather, which does appear to be on the horizon. Peter Thomas Keaveney looks at four methods farmers are using to dry straw.
28 August 2024 Farm machinery
Satellites and drones for targeted fertiliser and chemical use
Peter Thomas Keaveney attended a Farmhand and CultiWise working demonstration day in Laois last week where variable rate herbicide applications were derived from drone imagery.
21 August 2024 Farm machinery